TECH parenting to promote effective media management

Abstract

As media and technology proliferate in the lives of US children, parents are confronted with the ever-growing task of home media management. Accumulating evidence reveals that youth media exposure to health risk behaviors (HRBs) (eg, risky sexual behavior, substance use) during the preteen years is associated with increased risk for subsequent engagement in HRBs,1,2 and greater intensity of exposure leads to greater youth risk. Whereas parents remain a strong influence on youth behavior and guidelines advocate for parental media restriction and monitoring, the definition of specific media parenting behaviors that impact child outcomes is needed. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has offered an evidence-informed summary of recommended parenting practices within the media environment.3 However, parents generally express a desire for more information about effective youth media management and are relatively unaware of the AAP’s media recommendations.4 To support AAP guidelines, a review of the literature and evidence from behavioral observation and focus group studies reveal 4 behavioral domains encapsulated by our proposed talk, educate, co-view, and house rules (TECH) parenting.5 We propose TECH parenting as a useful framework to address important behavioral targets for parental media management of preadolescent youth (Table 1 and Supplemental Fig 1).Parental monitoring is associated with reduced youth risk for HRBs, and talking with youth about media use allows parents to learn what their child is viewing or using.5 Some 84% of preteenagers (ages 8–12 years) reported that their parents have talked with them about the content of media they use; however, only 54% reported that their parents knew “a lot” about their social media use.6 Parents should talk to children about media regularly because kids’ preferences and/or behaviors can change quickly over time. The use of open-ended questions (Table 1) can facilitate engagement in conversation and allow parents to receive more comprehensive information on children’s media exposure. These conversations can be used as periodic check-ins and as a starting point for education about HRBs that may have been depicted in media and/or product marketing (eg, alcohol brands) that children have viewed. Researchers have demonstrated that effective parental communication with children about HRBs and HRB-related media content can reduce youth risk for HRB engagement.7A review of research on substance use in the media revealed high rates of substance appearances in television and movies (eg, alcohol was found in 70% of prime time television programs), with few depictions of negative consequences of HRBs.8,9 Parents need to educate youth on negative consequences of violence, substance use, and risky sexual behavior, especially if youth are exposed to inaccurate media depictions of HRBs. For example, characters may be shown drinking alcohol excessively without getting sick. These depictions suggest risk behaviors are safe or have only positive outcomes, which can impact youth expectancies related to HRBs and their subsequent willingness to engage in HRBs.Beyond depictions of behavior, children need to learn how to interpret advertising that promotes certain product-related behaviors, such as drinking or smoking. For example, in the new media environment (eg, Internet, social media, and applications), some alcohol companies employ “advergames” that could be highly engaging for underage drinkers.8 Parents should alert children to what these games are intended to do (eg, change product interest) and teach them about other marketing strategies employed in the media (eg, product placements). The social media environment provides additional venues for marketing and new ways for youth to share inappropriate social media content. Integrated marketing campaigns promote youth exposure to marketing across media venues, and parents must remain aware of the various sources of potential exposure to ideally mitigate youth risk. Risks for youth within the media environment continue to evolve as technology advances. However, youth can learn how to effectively interpret marketing messaging, and preventive interventions that include a media literacy component have demonstrated efficacy in reducing youth risk for problematic behaviors such as substance use.10Many parents indicate concern about what their children see across media and report inappropriate media content as a primary concern. Yet, parents also report that they are not fully aware of the content within the programming and games that kids view and use. Whereas 82% of parents reported high awareness of the content their child sees on television, only 56% report high awareness of online video content, and 40% report high awareness of social media exposures.11Active co-viewing and co-use of media can help parents learn about evolving media, such as video games and social media applications, allowing parents to more effectively and co